The TARDIS and the Hare
by spazenport
Summary: Part of a 10 story arc, covering each Doctor, The T&H series will follow one enemy as he constantly attempts to steal the TARDIS from the Doctor in order to change the course of History. Every Doctor and a lot of great companions. Part 1, First Doctor.


Part 1 of _The TARDIS and the Hare_

First Doctor: Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, Susan

The jungle was filled with the sounds of life, pushing in from every possible direction in its own sing song way. To the casual observer, as much as one could be casual in a jungle setting, the sounds would have seemed peaceful to the point of bliss. Because of this blissful peace, that same casual observer would have been very annoyed with the materialization of the large blue box in a small clearing. The blue box was heralded by a reverberating noise, pulsing loudly in similarity to that of an ancient engine churning itself into existence.

The front of the blue box, labeled "Police Box," opened and out stepped four people. The first of which was a young woman named Susan, with short cut black hair and a curious look, inspecting everything with a very obvious want to understand. Susan was closely followed out of the Police Box by a middle aged man and woman, the couple dressed formally in the style of educators, with Barbara Wright, the woman, wearing a lengthy skirt, while Ian Chesterton, the man was dressed in a tie and suit jacket.

Finally, the last occupant of the Police Box exited through the small double doors. He was an older man, with wispy white hair combed straight back and a gnarled cane, by design. His clothing was black and white and of the Edwardian style. His face, though aged, had a youthful look around the eyes. He stepped from the Police Box and, ignoring his companion's expressions, he looked down and examined the path that they had seemed to materialize in the middle of.

"What is it, Doctor?" Ian asked him.

The Doctor looked further down the path. "If you would take more time to examine your surroundings Chesserman, you'd probably waste less of my time explaining things." The Doctor stood and probed the ground with his cane. Ian rolled his eyes and stepped back away from the Doctor and towards Barbara. As was usually the case, Susan stepped forward and without prompting the Doctor began with the explanation.

"The path has been trampled by machinery. I can't tell what through the foliage, but I can smell..." He smiled at his granddaughter, expecting her to answer. Being of Time Lord lineage, she too had the same heightened abilities of her grandfather.

Catching his queue, she complied. "Calriconin Oil?"

The Doctor smiled and nodded. "Yes, precisely."

Barbara and Ian, both humans, didn't have the heightened senses that the Doctor and Susan did, and were both completely in the dark. Barbara asked first. "What is Calriconin oil, Doctor?"

The Doctor walked away from his TARDIS, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space, or Big Blue Police Box, and towards the direction the path led. "Calriconin oil is a long term lubricant. Its rare, and so," The Doctor raised his cane emphasizing the point, "it is used exclusively in the construction of maintenance robots in areas where people wouldn't be expected to be around for quite sometime."

Ian rushed ahead a bit to catch up with the Doctor, "Why would a jungle need maintenance robots?"

"Let's find out." The Doctor said with a mischievous smile.

Ian looked from Barbara to Susan. "Here we go again. Is there any reason we can't just get back into the TARDIS and go somewhere relaxing."

Barbara smiled. "Calm down, Ian. Where would the fun be if we just turned around every time we came across something new and unheard of?"

Ian ceded the argument to her, as most of their adventures had been fun, even the dangerous ones. The four of them continued down the path, every now and then taking the time to clear some of the jungle out of their way. It wasn't long until they came across an access hatch in the ground.

The hatch was about ten feet by ten feet and looked as though it would split in the middle. The left of the hatch had a control console protruding out of the ground to about waist height with a keypad on it. The control console is what immediately caught the Doctor's attention.

Approaching the console, the Doctor started typing into the keypad random sequences. At the same time, Ian was examining the hatch itself, feeling along the seem, not sure what he was looking for.

Barbara and Susan watched the surrounding jungle for hazards while the two men fiddled with the door. "Couldn't this be private property or anything like that?"

Susan laughed. "I don't think that Grandfather thinks in terms like that." She shrugged as most girls her age do. "I've found that the TARDIS, when Grandfather's not actively seeking a place out, seems to take us to places that we are needed. So if I had to guess, I'd say that trespassing is the last thing that we'll get accused of." This seemed to placate Barbara as she nodded and continued to walk around the hatch.

Ian looked up at the Doctor, "Any luck, Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled, "Not yet, but I haven't really tried yet." He lifted up his can and started using it to take measurements of the console. Noting its length with his cane, he continued to measure its width, and then stared at his cane, contemplating something diabolically clever. Or so Ian thought.

The Doctor then proceeded to raise his cane above his head and then bring it down sharply, smashing the console and receiving an array of sparks and smoke for his effort.

In response to the damage, the hatch split in the middle and slid open. As Ian and the Doctor leaned over the newly created hole in the jungle floor, Barbara and Susan quickly stepped up behind them to also get a good look. Before they could see what was in the hole, the thing in the hole came up, and fast, causing them all to leap back and into each other, the Doctor raising his cane in front of Susan.

Out of the hole launched a large, rotund robot with four different arms, two of which pointed energy weapons at the Doctor and his companions. As it brought them to bare on the four companions, it let out a large and very tinny declaration. The red light where a humanoid's mouth would have been blinked in sync with the words that it issued.

"You are trespassing, prepare to be disintegrated."

"I thought you said we weren't trespassing?" Barbara remarked pointedly at Susan.

Susan, to afraid to speak, only slid closer to her Grandfather.

Seizing the moment, the Doctor stood quickly, and jabbed his cane at the automaton. "Now see here, you overgrown mound of scrap! We're here on an official capacity to check on your progress."

The weapons still raised, the robot made no move. "The official is already here."

"Already here?" The Doctor grabbed his jacket collar with his left hand and allowed his mind to drift a bit, his head following, as he stared off into space. Finally, having computed his next course of action, the Doctor jabbed his cane at the robot again. "That's only our pre-inspection team. We're here for the final rounds of check up." He lowered his cane. "Surely, you wouldn't want to stop rehabitation?"

The robot whirred for a minute and then slid back, off of the platform that had risen it to the surface. Following that lead, the four companions climbed on board and were immediately plummeted into the planet.

As they dropped, Ian stepped closer to the Doctor.

"Rehabitation? What's going on here, Doctor?"

The Doctor shifted to better see Ian on the small platform. "That was the long-term maintenance robot Susan and I were both smelling. As soon as I made that connection, I assumed that this was an underground station and that the robot was most likely awaiting to be relieved of duty. Hopefully, it thinks that we are the ones here to relieve it."

"I hope that you know what you're doing," Ian said, understanding, but still apprehensive of the whole situation.

"I rarely do." replied the Doctor.

The platform landed smoothly, and the four travelers stepped off and into a large room filled with crates and mechanical bits. The labeling on the crates implied more mechanical bits, specifically the kind needed for the century after century continued operation of the facility.

Across the room from their platform, and the only place along the walls without crates, was a large door. The Doctor made his way towards it, his friends close behind him.

As they reached the door, it swung outward, away from them, and in ran a large white rabbit in what could only be described as a jogging suit.

Susan, having traveled with the Doctor long enough, only snickered. Ian jumped between the rabbit and Barbara and Barbara let out a little yelp. As to if the yelp was due to the sudden appearance or the fact that it was a giant white rabbit, no one was quite sure.

The Doctor, though, hooked his cane in his arm and stuck out his hand. "Hello, I am the Doctor. This, here, is my granddaughter Susan. The two, somewhat startled individuals are Ian and Barbara."  
The rabbit ignored the Doctor's outstretched hand and leaned in sniffing. "You're not Limunians."

The Doctor glanced back at his companions and then back to the rabbit. "No, and for the deceit I apologize. We were fairly sure that this place was uninhabited. Might I inquire as to what you're doing here?"

The rabbit, obviously downtrodden at the lack of more rabbits, or Limunians, turned and walked down the corridor that had led him to the door. The time travelers followed.

"My people are dead. Our planet wiped out many years ago. This is our last, un-scoured base. My name is Newell."

The Doctor frowned, and Ian, Barbara, and Susan were all obviously feeling sorry for Newell.

Susan stepped ahead of the Doctor and placed a hand on Newell's shoulder, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"We all are." added Ian.

The Doctor prodded on. "Newell, I'm under the impression that an odd signal brought my ship here. I was wondering what it was exactly you were working on?"

Barbara, having come out of her "Ahh! A Giant Rabbit!" stupor, turned on the Doctor. "You never told us we were following a signal."

The Doctor turned his sharp eyes on her. "I didn't know that I had to report to you whenever the TARDIS got into one of its moods."

She hushed herself, still feeling slightly left in the dark.

"It still would have been nice to know," Ian finished for her.

Ignoring this, the Doctor turned back towards the rabbit, who was still in front of them, and glanced around to see where they had stopped. As it had turned out, they were still in the middle of a dark hallway, with no specific designation or characteristics on the walls, not even a door. Before the Doctor could ask why they had stopped, Newell was facing him.

"Did you say TARDIS? As in Time Lords?"

The Doctor sent a glare over his shoulder to Barbara and then looked genially back at Newell. "Uh, why, yes. I am a Time Lord. You know of us?"

Newell's large ears twitched, and he looked at Susan. "You are both Time Lords, I can hear your hearts." Newell smiled, "This is wonderful." He turned and took off. "Come quickly!"

The four friends raced after Newell until finally coming to a door at the end of the underground hallway. Racing in, they found that the whole room, all up and down the walls was wire and machinery, lit up like a Christmas tree. All of the wires led to a large control panel linked into what the Doctor could only assume was the power of the underground building.

Noticing the Doctor's critiquing eye, Newell waved his hands around. "I only wish to see my people one last time."

"No..." the Doctor said, but not angrily, more contemplatively. "This won't work. You're missing key components."

Ian stepped forward, stepping by an equally mesmerized Susan. "What is it, Doctor?"

The Doctor broke his gaze for a moment and look at Ian. "I assume that its a very poorly built time machine." He said this glancing at Newell for confirmation. Newell nodded emphatically. Looking back at Ian, the Doctor continued. "The traveler would stand at the console. The energy coursing through the walls, would focus there and send them, hurtling, through the Time Vortex, to whatever destination they chose." He shook his head again and turned towards Newell. "You will not survive. The speed with which you would leave the Vortex would crush you before the ground ever did."

Newell nodded. "I know. I don't need it anymore though! You are here, with your TARDIS! You, Doctor, received my time beacon. This is surely fate. You can send me home."

The Doctor nodded sadly. "As much as I wish that I could help you, Newell, time travel doesn't work that way. You would more than likely cause a paradox. I cannot allow that to happen." He lowered his head. "I am sorry."

The rabbit screamed, spit flying from his mouth, "I must avenge my people!" From a pocket in the jumpsuit he pulled a remote and thumbed the only button on it. From the hall, the traveler's could here the whirring of the large robot coming at them.

"You're making a very big mistake." Ian said, trying to placate Newell. "We can't help you, we would if we could, but we can't." While he said this, Barbara and Susan were holding the door shut, preparing for the worst.

"No, Ian. I can help him." said the Doctor. Walking briskly at the large rabbit, he raised his cane and smacked the control for the robot out of his hands. "Everyone against the door." the Doctor shouted. Ian ran to help Susan and Barbara while the Doctor used his cane to corral Newell towards the platform and the console. The rabbit, sensing that the Doctor might not have had the best of intentions, was grappling against the shoving old man.

"Let's go." responded the Doctor. "You and I! Together, we'll avenge your people. Together I'll show you the hazards of paradox's!" Finally, reaching the console, the Doctor smashed down on some of the keys and started turning dials. The room lit up, shooting rays of condensed radiation and energy all about, trying to come to a focus at the control panel. The only place not effected was right next to the door where Ian, Barbara, and Susan stood, holding it shut, preparing for the monster robot.

Finally, the device started to focus its energy on the console, and before it could finish, the Doctor shoved at Newell.

Newell lashed out one last time and grabbed at something on the Doctor's neck before falling backwards into a ray of energy and dissolving.

The make-shift time machine shut down and the Doctor raced towards the door, stopping short to smash down his cane with a loud crunch.

Sauntering up to the door, he gently pushed his friends aside and opened it, much to their apprehension. Glancing back, Susan noted the smashed remote for the robot and followed her grandfather out. Together they slid the behemoth machine out of the way of the hall, and started their way back.

Making it back to the TARDIS, the Doctor turned towards Susan. "Your key my dear? Mine seems to have fallen into the Time Vortex."

Getting inside the TARDIS, Barbara finally found her voice. "Doctor, what happened back there?"

The Doctor started spinning dials on the TARDIS console, opening a drawer and pulling out another key to put around his neck, sliding the key itself under his shirt.

Looking up at Barbara, the Doctor explained. "If he had been at the center, when the beams of energy converged, he'd have rocketed to his destination, smacked the ground, and been pulverized, having ended up right where he had wanted. He wanted to use us to go back in time, stopping his people from being destroyed. That would have created a paradox that would have destroyed time itself." The Doctor shrugged. "Before the beams could converge, I pushed him into the Vortex. The resulting spike of energy dispersed him into time. He could easily be..." He shrugged again, "Anywhen."

They all held a somber tone, settling in as the Doctor prepared the TARDIS for its next journey.

"I saved his life." He said at last. "And the Time Vortex."

Trying to change the subject, Susan spoke up. "We need a holiday!"

Ian nodded in agreement and the Doctor took up her cue.

"Yes, I agree. I was quite fond of the Fengarri Fields of Triumph."

Barbara scowled. "That was barbaric, how about some nice quiet beach somewhere?"

Before the Doctor could respond, there was a sharp crack, followed by a gust of wind. Standing between Barbara and Ian, on the opposite side of the TARDIS console from the Doctor and Susan, was an averaged height woman of long red hair. She looked around at everyone in the room, and then eyed Ian up and down.

"Are you the Doctor?"

Everyone in the room pointed at the elderly man. She looked at him, examining him, and quickly determining that this man could be none other than the one that she was looking for.

"Doctor, you're my last hope."


End file.
